FEATURES

Dick Persson explaining on one of his photos displayed in the Museum

Arusha now hosts world's largest wildlife photographic exhibition

Apart from being the main gateway to the country’s leading tourist destinations of Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Serengeti National Parks, Arusha hosts a number of international organisations. But, recently the northern city of Arusha acquired another status after. Full Story

Need for budgetary beefing up for prisons sounded

Slowly they match with their well polished black and shiny shoes and not to mention of the well pressed suits so sharp that one would think a ruler was used to make it straight.
The three gentlemen are so smart that one would think that they are going to propose for a hand. Full Story

Legend has it that the ruler of India asked his wise men to devise a way to teach the children of the royal family to become better thinkers and better generals on the battlefield.
Chess is a classic game of strategy invented more than 1500 years ago in India.

An authoritative global review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA) found that progress for women in the past 20 years has been unacceptably slow with areas of stagnation and even regression.

When Nuru Ally, a Standad Six pupil at Mtoni Mtongani Primary School in 2009, found out that she had conceived, thought it was the end of the world for her.
To make things worse for her, when she came out of Temeke hospital labour ward where she had unfortunately lost the baby she learned that her former classmates were sitting for Standard Seven final exams, she was absolutely devastated, so much so that she wished the earth could swallow her alive.

Last yesterday Tanzania and Kenya have signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the new forest cooperation agreement, which is set to improve the effectiveness of measures to tackle the rampant illegal logging and timber trade across the border.

Tracing anything to do with ancient slave trade, one comes across Pangani, a small town in a remote but beautiful setting where the Pangani river meets the Indian ocean - creating a combination of both salt and cold water.

The data of Tanzanians in Diaspora has to be well collected, managed and controlled so as to ensure that they contribute more and more in the country’s income.
The recent statistics released by the World Bank shows that Tanzanians in Diaspora contribute billions of money to the country’s economy.

Rural women, part of the down trodden across Tanzania, are not certain whether once pregnant, they will be able to sail through turbulent waters until delivery of the new born they carry in their wombs.

To celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8), Women Deliver, a leading global advocacy organisation for girls’ and women’s health, rights and wellbeing, is honouring 15 journalists for their consistent and game-changing coverage of maternal, sexual and reproductive health and rights issues at the global and national levels.

The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors has approved USD60 million in new financing from the highly-concessional International Development Association (IDA) to help Tanzania develop a viable mortgage finance market for affordable housing.

In Tanzania, few graduates have the ambition of living and working in the remote villages where they were born, which are more often than not, drawn in the mire of income poverty. Renatus Anthony Danda, is among a few exceptions.

Infrastructure plays a vital role in any country as it stimulates the development of investment and trade and thus contributes to improving the national economy.
The Tanzanian government has set aside large amounts of money to improve infrastructure.

Educational Research is the professional art of applying science to the efficient use of human’s inner resources as well as for his/her educational benefit. It encompasses many types of activities such as development, innovation, installation and institutionalisation of change.

Since the early 1960s, education for all has been one of the agenda in all regions of the world. By that time children with disabilities were educated in separate classes or in separate schools called special education.

Farming has never been considered as an attractive carrier for most educated youth, but for Jacqueline Mkindi, the story is different.
Relinquishing her rewarding white-collar job opportunities at such prestigious institutions like Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa) in early 2000s, Ms Mkindi opted to promote horticulture.

Agnes Davi, a farmer at Kokomay Village in Babati, Manyara Region no longer depend on maize as her main source of income following the outbreak of a viral Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND) that wiped out her two hectare farm in the last season.

Tanzania citizen have not yet be able to utilise the available land despite of its fertility that encourage the development of agriculture activities.
Statistics from Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) shows that the country has a total area of about 945,000square kilometres, of which approximately 44million hectares are arable land for agricultural activities.

World Kidney Day yesterday aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney diseases and mortality caused by the disease.

Traders from Zanzibar have raised concern over trade barriers they face while conducting their business making them unable to make a breakthrough in their lives.
According to them such trade barriers led into some traders and investors fail to run their business in the Isles.

Hundreds of poor women in Arumeru district, Arusha region have started benefiting from the Global Poverty Action Fund (GPAF) project, which is being facilitated by BRAC Maendeleo Tanzania—a Bangladeshi-based organization.

Bustling with impressive record of high production – 20 percent globally until the 1970’s, the cashewnut industry slumped around 1974, nose diving from 145,000 metric tonnes, only to pick up in 2012 when statistics showed that 158,000 metric tonnes was maintained.

Ambassador of Switzerland to Tanzania, Olivier Chave has said that the World Bank has projects to decrease charcoal production and consumption before 2030 in Tanzania; and thus suggests a realistic approach to energy provision for the country.

Although there are laws and policies which prohibit stigma and discrimination existence in the country, these unlawful practices still take place at the workplaces.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines stigma as ‘the social mark that, when associated with a person, usually causes marginalisation or presents an obstacle to full enjoyment of social life by the person infected or affected by HIV.

As the government draws up the phase II Agriculture Sector Development Plan, farmers and stakeholders pointed out critical anomalies which pulls back the sector, which employs almost 80 per cent of the Tanzanian population.

Growers Horticultural and Marketing Cooperative Society (GHOMACOS) has improved the life of some of its members in a short period of four years of its existence.
A fresh produce cooperative with 52 members, from eight villages neighbouring Grumeti Reserves, GHOMACOS, is doing lucrative business with Singita Serengeti.

Tanzania is among countries that are battling to end the spread of fungal and bacteria infectious diseases among its people.
Efforts are being made by the government and its partners to end the problem which brings suffering to many people especially those in rural areas.

Around the world, International Women's Day represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality.
‘Make It Happen’ is the 2015 theme for our international women’s day.

Yasinta Makere is one of small-scale farmers in northern Tanzania who are engaging in growing traditional crops like maize, beans and vegetables.
Like many farmers in Lokiri village of Siha District, Kilimanjaro Region, Makere has a plot where she grows banana and sweet potatoes too.

In my strategic thinking column that I used to write in the late 2000s - These Reforms- which for some reasons I had to stop publishing, I missed a very crucial issue about the Tanzania of tomorrow vis a vis the unfolding international scenarios, that was good for a take then.

MS-TCDC is a Training Centre for Development Cooperation in Eastern and Southern Africa, based in Arusha. The centre was established in 1967 as part of development cooperation agreement between the Governments of Tanzania and Denmark.

A Dar es Salaam based Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) has condemned child marriage in the country asking relevant ministries to deal with it ruthlessly.
In its report released recently, LHRC says marriage done to girls below 18 years in unethical because it subjects the girls to physical and psychological torture.

Tanzanian farmers are now benefiting from training radio programmes that focus on grain commodities with an approach of a farmer centred and business driven in order to improve the engagement of farmers’ organisations in structured trading.

Remarks are elicited from time to time from the country's elder statesmen, when they seek to show the way forward for the beleaguered affairs of the country. They touch everything from the rising budget deficit to crime levels to sugar and cement and what have you, while a considerable section take their words a wisdom.

John Kimbesa (84) is one of the earliest residents of Keko Machungwa, one of the highest densely populated slums in Dar es salaam out of a once landscape with scattered houses including his own built immediately as he moved there more than 50 years ago.

In Tanzania like most developing countries, biomass fuel dominates as a source of energy. It accounts for about 90 percent of the total national energy consumption with 2 percent from electricity and 8 percent from petroleum products.

Smallholder farmers through their organisations are now able to demand better policies on post harvest losses and strategic food reserves thanks to the farmer’s voice project that is being implemented in East Africa countries.

Ten years after the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) started to operate, in June 1996, President Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, made a whirlwind familiarisation visit to the budding tax agency, Dar es Salaam.

Scientists estimate that it would cost six thousand trillion dollars to replicate your body tissues, enzymes and organs. That is 77 times the GDP of the world.
And even with all that expense, there's no guarantee that it would actually work.

Earlier this week the ICCA Consortium received notification through various networks and members of an operation carried out by Serengeti National Park against the Maasai residents of villages bordering the park in the villages of Ololosokwan and Arash in Loliondo.

Around 100 accounting and finance experts are expected to meet in Dar es Salaam early next month to digest crucial discussions on issues related to public finance management, a key pillar in a regional push fast-track growth and development in African countries.

Tourism and climate change nexus is an integration forgotten in Tanzania.
Climate change refers to a change of climate variables attributed directly or indirectly to human activities that alter the composition of the global atmosphere, and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods; according to the research done by an expert.

Kibubwa Farmers Group (KFG) has set up a demo-farm at Kisamwene Village, Butuguri Ward, Butiama District, Mara Region. The demo-farm with technical support from Mikocheni Agriculture Research Institute (MARI) aims at training farmers on how best they can eliminate cassava diseases in their village and thus improve cassava productivity and food security through clean seed systems.

In Tanzania, for the tourism sector to make an even greater contribution to successful economic growth, it is necessary to ensure social inclusion and ecological sustainability.
According to the latest World Bank Tanzania economic update entitled ‘The Elephant in the Room Unlocking the potential of the tourism industry for Tanzanians,’ as the tourism sector grows, it becomes increasingly important to understand why it has not generated optimal benefits for a greater number of ordinary Tanzanians.

Addressing elders of Dar es Salaam region on the escrow account saga, President Jakaya Kikwete said that from 2007 to 2014 (at the time that the escrow account was emptied), the state power company TANESCO sought to manage the conflict with Independent Power (T) Ltd, not to solve it.

In Tanzania, not enough adolescents are attending and completing school. Too many adolescents don’t know how to protect themselves against HIV and Aids, or are orphans and have to take care of their younger brothers and sisters.

Serenity and nature at its best is how you can explain this region, an area located in the central parts of Tanzania.
The region is endowed with honey as if it were a promised land and not to mention of sunflower seeds and groundnuts.

The world is full of surprises and horrifying accounts, and it never ceases to amaze me whenever I come around such incidents. Only recently I got the chance to attend one of the most important global sessions which advocate for women and girls rights, particularly trying to fight against the practice of the infamous female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

Friday, last week was a great day for CRDB Bank and Heritage Insurance, as the two financial institutions emerged victors during the inaugural Best Board Leadership Award 2014 in the financial sector at a colourful event held in Dar es Salaam.

The global healthcare industry has experienced an escalation of innovations aimed at enhancing life expectancy, quality of life, diagnostic alternatives, treatment options, as well as the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the healthcare system.

For many years, tea farmers in the country were complaining of the weather problem, saying it is one of the causes of little harvests that make some of the small scale farmers fail to improve their livelihood for a long time now.

This year, the national and global leaders are set to adopt a new global poverty eradication framework termed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which will take place of the failed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Water hyacinth is a free-floating perennial aquatic plant (or hydrophyte) native to tropical and sub- tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, which may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in height or 3 feet.

Tanzania has to learn from what China did to develop itself through Special Economic Zones (SEZ) whereby China gave opportunities to foreign and domestic companies to trade and invest in their country for boosting their country’s economic growth.

February 4 rings a bell that we should significantly diminish the global cancer burden. This year, the special day planed to achieve a positive and proactive approach on the battle against cancer, through highlighting that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and they are within our reach.

If the size of the Tanzania’s aviation industry is to double in the next five years as predicted, the demand for commercial pilots will far exceed the supply unless some organised efforts are made to increase the supply.

Manufacturing is one of the key sectors that contribute to Tanzania economy. In 2008 the country’s GDP growth rate was 7.4percent which is lower than the rate of growth of the manufacturing sector in the country.

The Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve which is the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites under threat. Covering 50,000 square kilometres, the Selous is one of the largest protected areas in Africa, renowned for its large numbers of elephants and other big game.

Cooperatives have been an important part of economic development in Tanzania for over 82 years. Though faced with serious challenges, no other institution has brought so many people together for a common cause like the cooperative societies.

In all nations children are considered a treasured asset and investment for the future and therefore providing them with appropriate healthcare should be of major priority.
The health needs of children are extremely unique, different and requiring uttermost diligence.

A new Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science (MUHAS) training medical centre is under construction in Mloganzila area, outskirt of Dar es Salaam city aimed at solving shortage of health experts in the country as well as provide employment for youths.

Head of Development Cooperation Division, the Swedish Embassy in Tanzania, Maria Van-Berlekom has underscored the need for sexuality education in schools in the country saying that it is a sure way of reducing problems associated with adolescent sexuality such as school pregnancy safe motherhood.

While in developed countries, bioscience is at the core of many innovations that leads to products that cure diseases, ensures safe water and abundant food and contribute to creating new fuels, local scientists believe that these benefits are extremely ignored in Tanzania.

Positive stories on the Africa are allegedly not receiving the same weight as negative ones as if the continent does not have any good news. Our Staff Writer PROSPER MAKENE has just made an exclusive interview with British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Swahili TV presenter and broadcaster ZUHURA YUNUS on her views about western media reportage on Africa: Read on…
QUESTION: Why African positive stories are not receiving the same weight as negative ones in the Western media?
ANSWER: Yes, I was expecting this kind of question.

The largest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal able to accommodate 2,000 metric tones of the gas is to be opened in Tanga next month.
The terminal which will employ 100 workers belongs to Lake Gas Company.

Maasai pastoralists in Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, northern Tanzania are no longer worried on the safety of their livestock from predators, following successful implementation of a ‘living walls’ project in their localities.

A new study by Brookings researchers shows that almost a billion extra people in the world will face a life of extreme poverty if leaders do not make key decisions on poverty, inequality and climate change.

Do not mind its unpalatable taste. Simply munch the pieces until your tummy is full. Nothing else but African cassava – westerners – non eaters of the stuff, call it cassava roots - as if it was a herb.

As climate change continues to affect small scale farmers in every corner in the country, Pantaleo Michael a farmer at Kisongwe Village of Kilosa District, Morogoro Region, has shown an example on how farmers can survive the harsh conditions.

As the National Institute of Transport (NIT) celebrates 40 years anniversary since its establishment in 1975, the Institute plays a crucial role in the growth of the Tanzanian economy by producing experts that suit the transport system.

Changing of rainfall patterns has forced some farmers in Nzega District, Tabora Region to find alternative ways of farming. They are currently engaging in water pans runoff water harvesting technology and use it for irrigation.

Ambassador of Finland to Tanzania Sinikka Antila has said that there are a lot of opportunities embedded in the forest sector that can be exploited to transform Tanzanian economy into a middle income economy.

Outstanding members of boards of directors for banks and insurance firms will from now be awarded with ‘Best Board Leadership Award (BBLA)’, in a move that seeks to celebrate excellence in the group of people that are entrusted with responsibilities of making decisions on behalf of shareholders.

After decades of economic stagnation Tanzania seems set to change the economic policy, following the discovery of gas deposits in Lindi and Mtwara regions.
The East African country which is traditionally an agricultural economy has discovered a total of 50 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (TCF) onshore and offshore fields at the Mnazi bay in Mtwara and at the remote Island of Songo Songo in Lindi Region, according to the Petroleum Development Cooperation (TPDC) report ending June 2014.

Ukwega is among the villages, located adjacent to Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve and Kilombero Nature Reserve (KNR) in Kilolo District, Iringa Region. The two forest reserves are within the Eastern Arc Mountains, stretching in scattered mountain blocks from the Taita Hills in southern Kenya to the Udzungwa Mountains in southern Tanzania.

For the pregnant women and mothers at Kiwavu, sub village in Maere village located in the Tanga City, the clinic day could be most dreaded day in their lives. The clinic is located in the main health centre at Tongoni, about three kilometres away.

Kisarawe District, Coast Region has started to improve maternal health by introducing several health projects aiming at reducing morbidity and mortality in children below five years as well as pregnant mothers.

Environmentalists are raising alarm over Tanzania’s climatic challenges, depicting cataclysm involving heat-related illnesses and deaths, droughts and drinking water shortages, floods and starvation, rising of the sea level and washing away of the land leading to land-related conflicts in the next 80 years.

On March 3 last year, the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Said Meck Sadik, through TBC television and radio channels announced the regional government administration’s decision to stop motorcycles (Bodaboda) and Bajajs from operating in the city’s Central Business District, CBD.

Setting up of the new land boundaries between villages in Rufiji district while ignoring the already existing traditional boundaries is one among the major factors leading to land conflict in many villages in Pwani Region and the country as whole, says Rufiji District Land Officer Omary Mizora.